I Am Who I Am
by MirrorImage003
Summary: Maylu's been going through a rough time. Even though she feels alone in her troubles, is she really that different than another lonely teen? MayluxChaud
1. Chapter 1: Stolen, But Found

Hey everyone! Well, this quick One-Shot has been on my mind for a while! If you don't like this pairing, then it won't hurt my feelings if you don't read! Hope you enjoy!

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"You can't do this to me!" Maylu screamed. Tears blinded her vision as she faced the man that held her precious P.E.T.

"I am your father and I can do whatever I please. If I say you can't see that Hikari kid, than you sure as hell won't be seeing him." His face was stony as he tucked the device into his pocket. Roll was unable to do anything but open and close her mouth in silent screams. She had been muted.

Maylu's heart wrenched as she saw her navi's frightened face disappear into his jacket. A sob escaped her lips and she impulsively flung herself at her father, pummeling her fists into his chest. His eyes remained cold as he simply brushed her out of the way, and walked to the front door. He stopped halfway outside and turned back to the girl crying on the floor. "I'm going to the office. I'll be back before sundown tomorrow." With that, the red-head heard the click of the closing door and began sobbing once again.

"Roll..." She choked out. "I'm so sorry, Roll."

* * *

Sunlight pouring in from a window kissed her face as she slowly arose from sleep. Maylu's muscles groaned as she stretched, relieving the stiffness. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she found herself in the living room of her house. Instantly, the previous night's events smacked her in the face.

The yelling.

The screaming.

The crying.

The stolen.

Who would've thought this was supposed to be a_ happy _surprise.

_**Monday afternoon - Five days previous**_

_ "Hey Maylu! You got a message from-" Roll suddenly stopped, re-reading the name over and over just to be sure it was real._

_ Maylu peered curiously up from her homework to look at her navi. "From who, Roll?"_

_ "Y-your father." She half whispered. Now it was Maylu's turn to freeze. The red-head almost dropped her pencil, disbelief written all over her face. Her throat felt dry, and her head was spinning._

_ "From Dad?" She managed to croak. After a small nod from Roll, Maylu asked her to read the letter out loud._

_ Roll cleared her throat before starting. "Maylu, I am pleased to inform you that I will be visiting for a couple weeks. I know it has been quite some time, and I am confident you have kept things up and running. My plane shall arrive at 2:30 PM on Tuesday. I will see you then. Sincerely, Your Father."_

_ Maylu sat in shock. It had been a full year and three months since she had last seen her father, and even then, she only was with him for about an hour! That night she stayed awake reading her father's letter over and over again, and every time, she felt more nervous than before. The wording sounded all to much like him. It was quick and to the point, holding no affection. It was even signed 'sincerely.' Not 'love,' or even 'yours truly,' just a dry, tasteless word that certainly held no sincerity at all. Maylu didn't get much sleep that night._

**Present Time - Saturday**

By 11 AM, Maylu had already eaten and gotten dressed. She still felt like crying, but found that she no longer had any tears left. She sat on the couch replaying the arguement from the night before in her head.

Her father had only been "home" for five days and things were already tense at best. It had started when she first introduced him to Roll, which happened to be when she greeted him at the airport, which led to a pretty negative beginning. He didn't like her being a net-battler because it "set her focus on trivial games instead of her studies." Maylu didn't quite agree with this not only because she loved Roll, but also since she had all straight A's. Wasn't she allowed a bit of fun sometimes? Even if things hadn't gone how she expected, Maylu didn't let it affect her optimism for her future relationship with her father.

Then he began to dissapprove of her friendship with Lan due to him being a "dense, irrational hooligan." She agreed that Lan was dense, and pretty irrational, but that didn't mean she shouldn't be friends with him. He was her best-friend for goodness sake! Half of the reasons as to why she was usually so happy was because he always cheered her up when she was sad. That was more than her own father had ever done for her. A little dent started to appear in her expectations, but Maylu continued to look for positive points.

On Thursday, Maylu came home from school to see her progress report card had come in. Her father was not a happy man. She had one B in Physics. Actually, she only had a B because the teacher had accidentely forgotten to collect one assignment from her. The teacher had already raised her grade back to an A, but by then, the reports must have been sent. Maylu tried to explain to her father, but he wouldn't listen. He blamed her for not making sure she had handed the work in, and had grounded her from seeing her friends for a week! Frustrated, she lightly argued back, which earned her another three days. The doubt and negativity had begun to exceed her former optimism.

From then on it's picky little things. A comment on her messy room, or a restriction on her diet. It seemed that with each passing moment, her father became more and more controlling. Tension grew, and tolerance levels lowered. By Friday afternoon, her father was practically seeking ways to make her life living hell, and Maylu was challenging everything her father said! This led to the full-blown arguement that eventually got her P.E.T. taken, and her unability to even see, much less talk to Lan.

As she sat in her living room pondering this, Maylu began to feel more and more bitterness well up. Her father not only managed to dictate everything she did in a span of five days, but now he took away her most trusted companion. She was banned from Lan and the others, and now Roll was gone too. She didn't even know why she obeyed him. Her guess was that she was still afraid of disappointing him. Loneliness and sadness caused Maylu's eyes to burn with unshed tears. It seemed like the walls of her house were slowly closing in on her. She felt suffocated, claustrophobic, and restricted.

Suddenly, Maylu felt the need to be outside, to escape the confinement of her home. Slipping on a pair of sandals, she walked outside, slamming the door behind her. As soon as she was out in the open air, she began to feel freer. No more rules or regulations she had to follow, only her own judgement. Walking downtown, she passed multiple familiar shops and vendors.

Looking into a window display, she saw a beautiful red and cream dress. It was knee-length, frilly, and elegant. She smiled at her discovery.

"Hey Roll! What do you think of-" Maylu stopped abrubtly as her hand brushed the empty space where her P.E.T. usually hung from. She couldn't help but imagine that a part of her soul was missing as well. Once again, her eyes began to burn, and Maylu quickly turned. She searched for some place she could escape to, where know one would see her cry. Remembering a small park she used to go to as a child, the red-head swiftly made her way back into her neighborhood, carefully avoiding the light pink house just around the corner.

She stopped as she passed by the stone wall in the center of the park. On it was the initials of two little kids, surrounded by a heart. Maylu's eyes began to water as memories replayed in her mind. Her father couldn't really ban her from Lan forever, right? She could always just defy him. But then she remembered that he had Roll in his possession. Anything she did to challenge him would only serve to make the situation worse.

Feeling hopelessly confused and angry, Maylu sat on the swingset in the park. She gently swung her legs, just barely moving the little swing. Looking up, she saw that the previously clear sky was now being obscured from view by a couple of gray clouds. She could see the tip of her roof from where she sat, reminding her that she could never escape. The depressing atmosphere sank deep into her heart. She could practically feel her heart shattering from the pressure. And this time, no one was there to pick up the mess.

No Lan. No Roll. No Mom.

The red head stopped swinging. Her arms fell into her lap as the tears dripped down her cheeks. She hung her head, bright red locks of hair cascading into her face. To think that her life had been perfectly fine without her dad in the picture. Shutting her eyes, she tried to imagine what it would have been like if her mom was still there, not halfway across the world, divorced from her father. The tears fell faster, soaking her faded pink skirt.

A gentle hand lightly gripped her shoulder, causing the teen to quickly wipe her eyes and turn to the side. Maylu was a bit shocked to find the vice president of Blaze Quest standing behind her. His normally ice blue eyes seemed softer now. She was about to speak, but he beat her to the act.

"Is something the matter, Sakurai?" He asked with concern, walking so he now stood face to face with her.

She sniffled, before clearing her throat. "Wha-What are you doing here?" She carefully avoided his question, not willing to lie just yet. He didn't seem to mind when she changed the subject.

"I was here to talk with Lan about a mission." The dual haired teen sat on the swing beside her. "Actually, I was just about to head home. Speaking of which... Protoman, please tell Kido he can leave without me. I'll send for him later."

The red raider nodded swiftly before Chaud slipped him back into his case. Maylu watched the black limo across the street drive away. He turned his head to the side, studying her carefully. "Now it's your turn to answer my question. Is something wrong, Miss Sakurai?"

Maylu brushed a stray lock behind her ear, avoiding his eyes. She tried to come up with something to tell him. On one hand, she wanted so desperately to tell him everything, to pour out all of her frustrations. On the other hand, she didn't want to worry Chaud with something that wasn't his issue. Eventually, the former option won over.

She took a deep breath before answering. "My dad. He-He's visiting for a couple weeks."

Chaud looked slightly puzzled. "Visiting? Doesn't he live with you?"

Maylu let out a mocking laugh. "No. He runs a buisness in America which occupies most of his time. I only see him once every year, and usually not for long. It's actually pretty shocking that he managed to get some time off, or that he decided to spend it with me."

"And your mother?" He asked softly.

"She divorced my father a long time ago. I haven't seen her in eight years."

Chaud was shocked to say the least. He had always thought that the perky red head that followed Lan everywhere would have a perfect family and a perfect life. He never expected it to be just as messed up as his, or worse. His attention was brought back when he heard her explain the rest.

"A couple days ago, I received a letter from my father saying that he was coming in for a visit. Usually, I live with my nanny, Teresa, but since my father was able to take care of me for a bit, she was allowed some time off. I originally was nervous for his visit, but I was also happy that he was finally coming. I had been waiting for so long to get to know my father, and I thought that since we were actually getting time together, that we would... I don't know, bond?" It ended with an unintentional question as Maylu tried to sort through all her unexpressed emotions.

She let out a dry, humorless laugh. "But, I was dead wrong. He ended up becoming dictator of my life. He told me that I couldn't see Lan anymore, and then he took Roll away from me. Can you believe he had the nerve to waltz into my life after nine years and demand I obey him? Everything I do is just another mistake to him. It's like I was finally given a chance to get to know him, and he doesn't want anything to do with me."

Her voice shook as she fought back more tears, choking down her sobs until they lay deep within her chest. "For years, I dreamed I would have someone I could call 'Dad,' and in a span of five days, those dreams were crushed. The one person that could ever be my dad barely even talks to me unless it's to criticize. I just... I wish he understood just how much I need him to be a father."

A moment of silence passed as the two processed what was said. The red head bit her lip, hoping that she didn't sound like a typical, hormonal teenager. She was growing tired of people always undermining her problems, saying she was just over-reacting. Half of her was surprised she even said so much. It wasn't like she was close to Chaud, in fact, this was probably the first time she had actually talked to him alone. Maybe that was why it was so easy for her to just talk. She didn't have to worry about anyone else's opinion, and she didn't need to worry about offending Chaud. She was pulled back to reality when she heard him begin to talk.

"I understand where you're coming from." He started with a sigh. "My father is a lot like yours. I see him during meetings every week, but it's more of a buisness kind of relationship, there aren't any personal ties. Although he may not dictate my life, he definitely influences it. Everything I do has to meet his requirements. That's one of the reasons I worked so hard to be the best net-battler."

Maylu watched as the teen moved his gaze to the cloudy sky, his sight far off. "I, like you, also grew up without my mother. She died from sickness when I was a young boy. I miss her very much. Sometimes I hate myself for wishing that she was here instead of my father. I used to wonder if that made me a bad person, but now I realized that missing her is always going to be a part of me. Those feelings can't really be helped." The sorrow in his voice echoed her exact feelings of loneliness.

"My father's approval used to mean the world to me. I guess in a way, he did control my life, but that was before I realized the truth." His eyes held a kind of confidence as he met gazes with Maylu, captivating her attention.

"And what's that?" She whispered.

He faced ahead once again, breaking the spell his blue eyes cast upon her. "No matter how hard I try, I will never be the exact person my father wants me to be. It just isn't possible. I am who I am, and I can't let his, or anyone else's opinion take that away from me. As long as I am okay with myself, I don't need to change for anyone."

His words seemed to fill the void of emptiness in Maylu's heart. Instead of feeling hopelessly powerless against her father, she realized that she didn't have to take his bullying. She could respectfully show her father that he didn't have any influence on who she was. The defiant side of her began to rise as she saw her way out of this mess. For the first time in five days, she smiled, and this time, it reached her eyes.

She beamed, turning to Chaud. His mouth quirked into a crooked half smile, lips pressed together in effort to keep from chuckling.

"I don't think you realize just how much that helped me." Maylu said with amazement.

"Just glad I could help, Sakurai." He replied.

"Please, no formalities. It's just Maylu." She said with a friendly smile.

Chaud let out an airy laugh. "You're starting to sound like Famous." He ran a hand through his multi-colored hair before turning to look at her, his eyes soft. "Okay, Maylu it is."

Together, the two sat on the swings, enjoying the comfortable silence. The clouds might be covering the sun, but to Maylu, she knew that it was just a temporary over-cast. Soon, it would clear away and turn into something brighter.

"Thank you, Chaud. For everything." She said after a few moments of quiet, turning to look into his eyes. "I think we could be good friends."

A small smile formed his lips as he faced her. "Yeah, I think we could."

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Author's Note: This might develop into a longer story, depending on my mood and on reviews! So if you liked it and want to see more, let me know!

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2: Sea of Emotions

Hey everyone who's reading this story! So, I decided I was going to continue this fic because I not only LOVE this pairing, but I also have a ton of little plot bunnies invading my head... In order to make some things clear, I want to inform you that this story is based off the manga, in which Maylu and Chaud didn't really interact as much. Don't get me wrong, I loved the anime, but the manga just seems to fit more for this story.

I also wanted to thank GirlProto, , and my anonymous 'Guest' who graciously reviewed and gave me their support... So in honor of their encouragement and request, here's Chapter 2!

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Maylu stared blankly at the food in front of her. She was mostly just pushing the contents of the plate around, never actually taking a bite. She was much to nervous for that.

The redhead was currently sitting at the dinner table with her 'father,' while both were simultaneously being ignorant of the precious nights events. Yeah, awkward didn't even begin to describe it.

She quickly glance at the man before her. He was sitting so stiff that a board could have been strapped to his back. After her heart to heart with Chaud, Maylu had decided that she would confront her father when he got home, confidently stating that she was able to take charge of her own life and make her own desicions. Instead, she had found herself avoiding him at all cost and opting to lock herself in her room.

By the time dinner rolled around, she was sick to her stomach with the knowledge that she had to speak up soon if she wanted to say anything at all.

_Come on Maylu, no more procrastinating. It's now or never. _She attempted to give herself a pep-talk. _So far, so good. Just open your mouth and start talking. Who knows, maybe he'll see things from your point of view and everything will go smoothly! _

She nearly snorted out loud._ Yeah, and maybe Lan will become a morning person!_ Her own sarcasm echoed in her thoughts.

Maylu stole another glance at her father. Alarm shot through her when she realized he was already almost finished with his meal! If she allowed him to get up from the dinner table, he would disappear in his study for the rest of the night and her chances to talk will go out the window.

Biting her lip, she tried to calm her mind. In order for things to go right, she needed to show her father that she was capable of being mature.

Her father finished his meal, gathering his dishes and preparing to stand from the table. Frantically, Maylu spoke up, interrupting his leave.

"My friends invited me to go to the arcade tomorrow." It had been said calmly, but she was internally freaking out. He stopped his movements, setting his plates back on the table.

"I fail to see how this concerns either of us." He replied indifferently. "If I recall correctly, you are grounded."

Frustration coursed through her, but Maylu also remained a stoic appearance, cutting pieces of chicken on her plate with a knife as if dismissing what he had said. "I'm going with them." It wasn't a question nor a request, but a statement.

Shock and anger flew across his face, but he expertly covered it up. "I don't think so." He said coldly, sticking his nose up and acting suprerior. "You won't be going anywhere."

She suddenly had the urge to roll her eyes, but barely refrained from doing so. Instead, she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, lowering the knife down to the table cloth. "Yes, I am." She defiantly said. "I'm going to meet with my friends and we are all going to have fun at the arcade."

His calm facade finally broke, replaced with one of rage and disbelief. "And what exactly makes you think you can do that?" He practically hissed.

"What makes you think I can't?" She retorted.

"Because I said so!" He said, barely keeping his voice below a shout. "I am your father and you are obligated to listen to me!"

"Oh, so I'm 'obligated' to obey someone who doesn't know a thing about me? Someone who was never in my life?" Maylu refused to back down.

"Yes, you are." He replied. "I am still your father."

"No, I _don't_ have to obey you." She spat. Her blood boiled with anger. "You may have sired me, but you will _never _be my father."

He looked momentarily shocked, eyes widening and mouth open before rage sank back in. "How dare you be rebellious with me?" He roared.

She looked him straight in the eye, keeping her composure. "Maybe I'm being rebellious, or maybe I'm finally standing up for myself."

Maylu could tell he was seething. His brown eyes, much like hers, were narrowed in anger, his hands clenched into fists on the table. "You are a disgrace to me! I was a fool to even waste my resources on your sorry excuse of effort!"

She ignored the stab of pain his words inflicted on her, pushing the tears back in her eyes. "And that is where you are terribly wrong, _dear father. _It is not _my_ effort that has failed, but _yours!" _She said boldly. "I have excelled in _everything_ I have ever put my heart into, but _you_ were never there to see my accomplishments! All that I have done in academics, maturity, and behavior has all been done for you, yet I never even received a birthday card from you in all my years of effort! You have never once put in the work to even acknowledge my existence!"

"You _should_ excel! That is what is expected of you! Failure is not an option!" He callously retorted. Maylu stared incredulously at his cold response.

"What do you expect me to be? Perfect?" She shouted.

"YES!" He shouted back.

Hurt, despair, and righteous anger filled her eyes as tears finally spilled down her cheeks. She shot up out of her chair. "Why the _hell _should I try and be the perfect daughter if you have _never_ tried to be the perfect father?"

Her scream ripped through the room. He remained speechless, her words shocking him to the point of no words. Silence filled the room, save for the harsh breathing of his daughter as she struggled to hold back sobs. Their eyes were locked together, hers glaring daggers of rage and hurt.

Suddenly, she whipped around, causing her chair to fall backwards, and strode out of the room, leaving her father sitting bewildered at the now silent dinner table.

Maylu grit her teeth, rushing up the stairs to get to her room, her safe haven. As soon as the door shut, her back was leaning heavily against it. Sobs racked her body as she slid down, drawing her knees to her chest and burying her face in her arms.

She was swept away in a sea of emotions. Anger, pain, fear, loneliness, and strangely, hope. Hot, salty tears soaked her cheeks as she allowed herself to indulge in these feelings. She wished someone was here to comfort her. Her mom, Lan, Roll, and most of all, Chaud. He was the only one able to even begin to understand her situation. Although she hardly knew him, she wished for his company, for his companionship. She vaguely wondered if he had gone through a fight similar to this with his own father.

Maylu wasn't sure how long she had sat there crying her eyes out. At least two hours. Finally, she calmed down, her breathing returning to normal. Lifting her tear-streaked face from her arms, she found herself smiling. It was utterly out of place and insane, yet, she couldn't help but grin. For the first time ever, she had been able to stand her own ground against her father and let loose all the distress that had been building up.

She rose from the ground, wiping her wet eyes. Shutting off the lights, the redhead made her way to the bed, a new confidence growing in her. Getting under the covers, she shut her eyes.

Tomorrow, whether her father liked it or not, she was going to see her friends and enjoy herself. And she was going to do it _with_ her PET, with Roll.

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Author's Note: Ooooo snap! Maylu's got some nice challenges for her father! I hope I've kept you interested enough to continue reading! I will try and get Chapter 3 up soon, but I still have another story I'm working on...

If you have suggestions, questions, or just want to brighten my day, feel free to review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3: UnMute

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Megaman.

: Yeah, it is a pretty depressing thought to know that some people have lives like this. :/ On a happier note, I hope I answered your questions well enough! Keep reading! :)

**UpbeatButNegative: **I'm honored you have decided to read my fic despite being a LanxMaylu shipper! :) Hopefully it keeps you interested. And yeah, Maylu kind of has a crappy parentage in this fic, but I guess it does sorta suit her. Thanks for the review! Have a good day, night, hour, whatever. ;)

**GirlProto**: Intense is what I was goin for. :) I'm glad it showed! I'm actually pretty happy with how the last chapter turned out, but its sorta hard to find fault in your own writing, so thanks for the feedback!

**Vio**: Honestly, I never really saw this as a one-shot. XD I had already been planning to make it a chapter story when I had uploaded it! Also, hold your horses! You haven't seen what I have up my sleeve yet! ;) Thanks for the review!

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Beep. Beep. Beep.

Maylu slapped the clock on the bedside table. She bolted upright, the sleepiness immediately wearing off. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was now 7:00 am.

Perfect timing. Her father was probably still in bed since it was his off day. Even if he was a workaholic, he still needed his rest.

Dressing quickly in her trademark outfit, the redhead grabbed her PET case, preparing for her mission ahead. Inhaling a deep breath, Maylu quietly opened the door to her room, peering across the hall where her father's room was located.

Heart pounding in her chest, she crept carefully to the door, gently easing it open. Peeking in, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark. Scanning the room, she spotted her PET on the drawer, but was startled to see the bed empty.

Light suddenly poured in when the bathroom door opened, revealing her father with a toothbrush in his mouth. Maylu shut the door frantically, leaving it open just enough for her to look inside.

_Darn it! He's awake. _She thought to herself. _So much for off days._

Her father's figure disappeared into the closet, probably to get ready for a day at work. Maylu saw her chance and darted into the room, ducking behind the large bed. Crawling on her hands and knees, she reached a hand onto the dresser, snatching the device and stuffing it into the case at her hip.

Before she could move a muscle, the closet opened and her father sleepily walked out with a pair of trousers thrown on. Thinking quickly, she dove underneath the bed. She watched her father's feet slowly walk toward the dresser, right where she had been a moment ago.

The feet stopped. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, and she was sure he could hear it. For one scary moment, she thought he would notice that the pink PET was missing, but the feet soon turned around, locking themselves back in the bathroom.

Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, the girl rolled out from under the mattress and bolted for the door. In a flash, she was down the stairs, out the front door, and on her scooter, dashing away from the pale, pink house.

Once she was far enough away, the redhead finally stopped, breath short and chest heaving. Whipping out her personal terminal, she flipped the switch to turn it on. Instantly, Roll's surprised face greeted her. Maylu beamed and hugged the device tightly to her chest.

"Roll! I'm so glad you're okay! I missed you so much!" She exclaimed. After a moment of waiting, she looked at her PET in confusion. Why wasn't she saying anything?

Roll was mouthing something before pointing to a button on the panel. Finally understanding, the redhead undid the mute button.

"Maylu!" Roll screeched excitedly. "I was so worried! Are you alright? How did you get me back? Did your father give me to you?"

Maylu shook her head with a slight smile and hopped onto her scooter. "I'm fine, Roll! And no, he didn't give me back. I'll tell you what happened on the way."

She then proceded to tell the pink navi all about Chaud's advice, her own rebellion, and how she had snuck Roll away from her father's room not ten minutes before. The navi could only stare in surprise at how much she had missed. This didn't sound like her Netop's typical behavior. But then again, this wasn't a typical situation.

"So now we are going to meet Lan and the others for breakfast and then head down to the arcade?" She questioned.

"Yup!" Maylu stated happily. Suddenly, her face dropped, mouth curving into a slight frown. "But I don't think Father will remain tricked for long. He'll probably find out we are both missing soon, and unfortunately, I was stupid enough to mention the arcade to him last night in our arguement. I give him two hours tops before he comes after me, and then it will really get ugly."

Roll watched how her Netop's happy mood quickly deteriorated sadly, trying to find a way to cheer her up. "Well, if we only have two hours, let's make the most of it!"

Maylu smiled, her cheerfulness returning. "You're right. I might as well enjoy the time that I have."

She gripped the handlebars tighter and sped off down the street, looking forward to seeing her friends. Hopefully Chaud was there too.

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Author's Note: I know, I know... This chapter was really short. It actually was like twice this size, but I wanted to keep my chaps shortish and sweet, so I'm going to upload the second part of it as chapter 4!

Remember, patience is a virtue, children. ;)

MI3


	4. Chapter 4: Damsel in Distress

Disclaimer: Don't own Megaman.

This chapter was originally supposed to go with the last one, but it became a bit to long. Enjoy!

**KailaTheMobiaFox**: I would say something, but I don't want to ruin the surprise! Read on, and find out! :) Thanks for the review!

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"Man, I'm stuffed!" Lan exclaimed loudly as they exited the breakfast restaurant.

"Me too!" Dex agreed.

When Maylu had arrived, everyone was excited to see her. They had bombarded her with questions on why she hadn't talked to them for so long. Maylu didn't feel comfortable in telling them about her family problems, so she just said she had been really busy. The others immediately accepted the answer and continued like nothing was wrong.

Surprisingly, Chaud had joined them as well. He was mostly quiet except for a few remarks here and there. Maylu had been caught off guard by his detached attitude. When he was with her at the park, he had been very warm and friendly, but now he acted as if nothing had happened. It was like he had walls blocking off anyone who wanted to get close.

Maylu made it her new goal to break those walls down.

"Alright everyone!" Yai piped up. "Let's go to the arcade and have some fun!"

Letting out some whoops and cheers, they all charged forward on the bustling streets. As the others walked ahead, arguing about which game was best, Maylu dropped back to walk beside Chaud. She was determined to make him talk.

"I talked to my dad last night." She awkwardly began. "We sort of argued, but I think I got my point across."

He remained silent, ice blue eyes staring straight ahead. Usually people would take the hint and back off, but Maylu wasn't exactly one to give up.

"It's really thanks to you that I even worked up the courage to say anything at all." She pushed on, ignoring his cold attitude. "I know I already said this before, but thanks. It really means a lot to me that-"

"It was nothing, Sakurai." He cut her off aloofly, still not meeting her gaze. Maylu frowned at how he was still addressing her so formally, even though he had agreed just a day ago that he would call her as a friend would. This definitely wasn't the boy she had talked to yesterday.

"I believe your friend wants your attention." He added.

"Maylu!" Yai called from ahead. "Come here and tell them that 'Kitchen Princess' is much more fun than 'Zombie Wars!' "

The redhead reluctantly turned her gaze away from the dual-haired teen. She lengthened her strides to catch up with the rest of the group. "What is it you're arguing about now?" She asked, putting on a fake smile.

"These three dunderheads," Yai gestured to Lan, Dex, and Tory, "think that a zombie game is much more fun than a reality based one!"

"Reality?" Dex protested. "How is a princess that cooks a reality game?"

Maylu let her 'Chaud troubles' slide to the back of her mind as she watched her best friends argue over something so trivial. Her smile soon became genuine as she backed Yai up in outwitting the boys. By the time the group reached the arcade, her attention had already been averted.

Before long, everyone was dashing to participate in their favorite games. Maylu laughed as she went up against Lan in a digital shooting competition. Obviously, she lost, but surprisingly not by much.

Yai had suckered Dex and Tory into playing the princess game as long as she promised to try 'Zombie Wars.' Maylu rolled her eyes. The boys should've known better than to make a deal with Yai.

Chaud had stuck with Lan and Maylu, although he didn't really attempt any conversation beyond a few sarcastic remarks aimed at the other boy. Lan always just smiled and would challenge him in another game. Although it looked like Chaud had an arrogant attitude, he had really improved since when they first met. Now a days, his rude side seemed to make less and less appearances. Maylu was convinced that it would just take time to break his shell.

After a while of playing arcade games, the two boys couldn't resist the temptation any longer. Maylu soon found herself observing a heated battle between their two navis. The cyber stage was a blur of red and blue as they clashed together, looking for an opportunity to gain the upper hand.

Roll and Maylu watched on in awe, etching every move into their memory. Both females felt a longing to have their ability, to be able to move at lightning speeds and rise above all else. To be able to win. They also knew that such a dream was rather distant. Although the girls were certainly not weak, they most definitely wouldn't be able to compete against top netbattlers. Even if they would never match Lan or Chaud's skill, it would be nice to not always be the damsel in distress.

Roll sighed lowly as she continued to track the other navis attacks, knowing that she was forever doomed to be average. Plus, she was still underage. It was a stab to her feminine pride, but hey, the truth hurts.

"Ready to give up yet, Chaud?" Lan asked with a cocky smile as Megaman jumped down at Protoman, his sword headed straight for the red navi.

Chaud smirked back. "As if, Hikari." Protoman raised his own sword, the two blades meeting in a deadlock. By now, a crowd of spectators had surrounded the battling arena, Yai and the others among them. Many of the people had picked sides, some rooting for Lan, and some for Protoman. (Although for the latter it was mostly girls.) Maylu and their group didn't know who to pick, so they settled for cheering on both.

Megaman grit his teeth, using whatever strength he had left to push against the red raider. "You're putting up a good fight, Proto."

"Likewise." He grunted out. In a last ditch effort, he threw his bodyweight forward, attempting to throw his opponent off.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. Everyone watched in shock as both their blades abrubtly splintered in two. Energy bursted forth and the rivals were sent flying backward, immediately logging out.

Maylu stared in mild surprise. Honestly, she was sorta expecting an outcome like this. Whenever Lan and Chaud fought, it always ended in a close match, sometimes to close to even decide the winner. This was just another netbattle, just another draw.

Three... Two... One...

"Megaman definitely won!" Lan cried out, breaking the awed silence.

"Yeah right!" Chaud shouted back. "Protoman made the last move, therefore winning the battle!"

Maylu shook her head and smiled. She also knew that those two would fight to the very last word saying that their navi had won, stubbornly claiming that somehow theirs had held out longer than the other. And then, the crowd would go wild, excitedly chatting to each other about who they thought was the victor.

Just as the redhead had guessed, all the kids surrounding the stage began to pick sides, arguing and discussing the factors of the show down. Each one pretending to know more about netbattling than the other. How predictable.

Maylu made her way over to the two boys who were continuing to argue. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms and listened to their hard headedness. After a few minutes of this, they finally settled for glaring at each other. It was ironic how they could be such big rivals, but also be friends.

"Are you done bickering?" She asked with a smirk. "Cause if you are, I was thinking we could all head out for lunch."

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Tory exclaimed, clutching his stomach.

"Let's go!" Dex did a fist pump and started marching out of the arcade followed by Yai and Tory. Letting out a huff, Maylu grabbed the wrists of the other two boys and dragged them along.

The rest of the day went by similarly. They all just hung out, had fun, and joked around. Maylu had never felt happier than now. It seemed like so long since she had just enjoyed herself with her friends, when in reality, it was only about a week ago.

Chaud remained distant, but after the netbattle with Lan, he had loosened up a bit. To the redhead's disappointment, he still wasn't acknowledging her, not even giving the slightest sign that he remembered their conversation the day before. Pushing away her annoyed feelings, she reminded herself that she wasn't going to give up on him. Whether he liked it or not, Chaud Blaze _was_ going to become her friend.

Time flew and soon it was almost six. Everyone parted ways, waving goodbye as they headed home for the evening. All of a sudden, the girl felt a pang of realization hit her. Throughout the day, she had forgotten all about her father. Even more surprising was the fact that she hadn't seen or heard from him the whole day. She had been positive that he would have come after her to reprimand her for being a 'rebellious teenager,' but he never did. For some reason, this made her more nervous than if he had really went to find her.

When she got home, his car wasn't there, and no lights were on in the house. Quietly, Maylu pushed open the front door, warily looking around the empty building. He should've been home from work by now.

Sighing, the girl fixed some dinner, and made extra just in case her father decided to return. When she had finished, she waited in suspense at the dinner table. It was better to face him right away instead of avoiding the inevitable. Plus, she knew now that she was capable of standing her own against him.

Forty-five minutes passed. The sun sank beneath the horizon. Maylu paced in the living room nervously.

Fifteen more minutes. She went upstairs and changed into some sweats and a worn sleep-shirt.

Thirty minutes came and went. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair, painfully pulling at the tangles.

Twenty minutes. The redhead climbed into her bed, yanking the covers to her chest. Slowly, her eyelids became heavy and she drifted to sleep.

Her father didn't come home that night.

* * *

Author's Note: Don't panic! Her dad didn't abandon her or anything like that. Although right now, I wouldn't put it past him. :/

I would also like to mention that Maylu doesn't like Chaud like _that_ right now. She just wants to be his friend.

ALSO! I wanted to ask everyone a question! **WHO SHOULD ROLL BE PAIRED WITH?** Megaman, or Protoman? Honestly, I might be a MayluxChaud shipper, but I think Roll can go with either of the two. Help me out and give me some opinions, and don't forget a reason why she should be paired with either!

Thanks!

MI3


	5. Chapter 5: Running Away

Disclaimer: Don't own Megaman or its characters.

Sooo... I've had this chapter done ever since I uploaded last, but I decided to wait to put it up. I know. I'm mean. Well, here it is! Chapter 5!

**UpbeatButNegative:** Suspense is my friend. :) As for the pairing issue, thanks for the input! Honestly, I'm still not sure what to decide... But, I still have some time. I've been stepping out of the box throughout this whole story, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to excede the line even further. Have a great day, week, fortnight, month, whatever... (Was that right?) ;)

** :** I totally get what you are saying there. It probably would've made more sense to combine it but it just sorta seemed right to seperate them... I dunno... Anyways, I'm glad they were in character! I try to make them as believable as possible. And jeez! Are you a mind reader or somethin? How did you know I was considering the whole 'Proto training Roll' thing?! Haha, well thanks for the review!

**KailaTheMobiaFox:** She definitely did alright! About time! :)

**Alto:** Hmmm... I can see your point there... Mega and Roll do seem to fit together. But at the same time, there are hardly any Roll/Protoman stories out there, and I actually really like the thought of them together... Well, my mind's not made up yet, so I'll wait for more opinions! And hopefully my story continues to keep your attention!

* * *

By ten in the morning, Maylu started to worry. Maybe her father was fed up with her attitude. Maybe he left her and wasn't going to come back. Maybe he had went back to America. But then again, perhaps he was just at the office and had decided to spend the night there.

Any of those options were possible. Her father had a nasty habit of ignoring his problems until they were to late to fix. Besides, isn't that what she was? Just another problem to him?

Shaking her head bitterly, the girl tried not to think of every bad scenario. Instead, she picked up her PET and began talking to Roll, just to get her mind off of things.

They sat in her room, laughing and joking around, allowing the redhead to clear her mind from its issues. The pink navi had spent a lot of time that morning listening to Maylu talk about her worries. It was nice to have the old Maylu back, albeit if it was only for a short time.

Maylu smirked slightly, a teasing look in her eyes. "So, what's up with you and Megaman lately?"

Roll blushed and averted her eyes from her Netop. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't even try lying to me!" Maylu smiled coyly. "I've seen the way you look at him!"

Roll jerked her head up and stared. "Yeah! _I_ might look at him, but he doesn't even give _me_ a second glance! I don't think he even recognizes me as a girl!"

The redhead's smile faded into a slight frown. "That's kind of like me and Lan. He's so used to calling me his 'best friend' that he never acknowledges me as being anything more. Honestly, I'm getting kind of tired of chasing him around. I don't even know if it's worth it anymore. I mean, what's the use of forcing someone into loving you if they can't love you on their own?"

Roll pursed her lips. "I guess we're a lot more alike than we had originally thought."

Both girls sighed at their non-existant love life. Suddenly, Roll eyed the sullen redhead, a mischeivous smile forming on her heart shaped face.

"Well, from what you've told me, someone else seems to be interested in you." She slyly hinted.

Maylu frowned in confusion. "Who could you possibly be talking ab-" She halted abrubtly when she caught the look on the pink navi's face.

"No way!" She objected, her face going red. "There is absolutely _no _way Chaud would like me!"

Roll grinned as she got a rise from her Op. "Oh, c'mon! Don't tell me you haven't even thought of the possiblity before!" She added. "I mean, seriously! From the way you told the story, he seemed awfully concerned for your feelings. Surely much more than Lan has been these past few years."

The girl's face flushed even more, and her mouth kept opening and closing as if she didn't quite know what to say. "H-He's... I... It's not-" She stuttered.

Roll started to laugh as the girl became more and more flustered. "Whatever you say, Maylu!"

The redhead puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "We're just friends!" The navi only laughed more, ignoring her protests.

Before Maylu could say anything else, the doorbell rang. Still glaring at the pink navi, she got up from her postition on the bed and headed downstairs. "Coming!"

She opened the door and was surprised to see who it was.

"Nanny Teresa?"

The portly lady bustled up to the young girl, pulling her into a hug. "Oh, Maylu darling! It's good to see you!"

Maylu smiled warmly and hugged her old caretaker, the smell of cookies and flowers filling her senses. "It's good to see you too! What are you doing back so soon? I thought you would be off on vacation!"

The woman pulled away and shut the door. "Ah, yes, yes. I would be, but you see, I seem to have left one of my suitcases here along with a few of my clothes. I need them before I leave for my flight today. Silly me!"

Maylu was truly happy to see the kind lady. After all these years, her nanny still was the one that she depended on most. She had always been there for her, always the one the girl could rely on.

"That's okay," She said, ushering the older woman into the house. "You're welcome here. After all, it practically is your home!"

"Nanny!" Roll called excitedly from her PET.

The lady waved at the little device. "Hello Roll, I'm glad to see your doing well!"

Maylu smiled and added, "I'll get your stuff for you, if you'd like."

"That would be very sweet," Teresa said. "Thank you, Maylu."

She ran up the stairs and into the guest room. Searching under the bed, she found the large suitcase and tugged it out. Carrying it downstairs wasn't to difficult since it was rather light.

"Is your father home, Maylu?" Nanny asked as she took the suitcase from her.

"No, he's at work." Maylu answered tightly, hoping she was right.

A sympathetic look filled the woman's face. "Poor man. He must be devastated. That reminds me, how are you doing, my dear?"

Maylu's anxiety turned to confusion. She narrowed her eyes, a frown pulling at her lips. "I-I'm fine. But, why would my father be devastated?"

Teresa's soft grey eyes widened in surprise. She looked at a loss for words. "You mean he didn't tell you?" She questioned carefully.

"Tell me what?" The redhead asked warily. She watched her nanny closely, confused beyond belief.

The older woman just blinked, not knowing what to say. Oh dear. Well this was unexpected.

"What is it, nanny?" Maylu asked again, this time a little more forcefully. "What's going on?"

Teresa grasped both of her shoulders, a grave expression on her face. "Maylu, darling." She began gently, as if the redhead was about to go ballistic. "Your father came home to tell you about your mother."

"What? What about my mother?" She interupted, perplexed.

"She-She passed away, Maylu."

In that instant, Maylu couldn't breathe. Shock overtook her emotions, making her freeze in place. It felt like her heart had stopped. It felt like someone had just pressed the pause button on time. A numbness overcame her body. She soon realized her nanny was still talking, and she forced herself to focus and listen.

"It was an accident." She was saying. "Just drivin' home one night and a drunk driver rammed into her. Nobody was around to call 911 in time."

A car accident. Her mother was dead because of a car accident. Somewhere in the distance, she heard Roll crying, but she was to out of it to pay attention.

Her nanny hugged her tightly, stroking her red hair and still rambling about the car crash. But Maylu wasn't crying or sobbing, her eyes weren't even watering. Just staring. And that's what shocked her the most.

"Maylu, dear," Teresa began. "I'm very sorry you had to learn of it from me. I'm so, so sorry, and I wish I could stay, but my flight leaves soon. I have to leave, Maylu, darling."

The girl blinked and snapped back to attention. She pulled out of her nanny's embrace and smiled sadly. "It's okay. I'll be alright. Go ahead, I wouldn't want you to be late for your flight."

The nanny hesitated, a melancholy frown on her face, before giving Maylu one more hug. She gathered her stuff and headed out the door, stopping on the porch to throw a glance at the girl. "I know you must be upset, but you mustn't be angry at your father. He is just as shocked as you are. Take care, dear."

Maylu stared after her for a while before closing the door quietly. The click of the lock seemed to echo loudly in the still house. She walked slowly up the stairs, not making a sound.

Roll sniffled and worriedly looked at her Op. "Maylu? Are you alright?"

The girl didn't even seem to hear her. She just walked into her room and set her PET on its dock, before laying down on her bed and curling up into a ball. Only when she was sure Roll couldn't see her, did she finally let a tear slip.

She cried softly, only letting a few drops slide down her cheeks. She stayed that way for a long time, laying on her side and hugging her knees to her chest. Hours flew by, and she just stayed there, staring into space.

It was all happening to fast. Only a couple days ago she was standing in that airport waiting for her father to exit the terminal. And now, she was sitting in her room shocked at the death of a mother she had never truly known.

She just wanted everything to stop.

After some time, Maylu heard the hum of a car engine outside. She should've been relieved that her father hadn't left her, but she didn't feel anything at all. She heard click of the door unlocking and her father's footsteps inside the house. He didn't come upstairs.

Ten minutes passed before she finally moved. She stood up and grabbed her PET off the dock, catching a glimpse of Roll's worried face before she stuffed it into the case at her hip. Maylu also got the pink and red duffle bag in her closet, randomly throwing clothes and other essentials into it.

Slinging it over her shoulder, Maylu began the descent to the front door. Her muscles were tight from being in the same position for so long, but she continued without the slightest limp.

"Where do you think you're going?" She stopped right in front of the door when she heard his voice. Slowly, she turned around to face him. He was still in his work clothes, back stiff and chin up as he questioned her. There was a moment of silence as she stared down at her feet.

"I asked you a question." He said coldly. Maylu raised her head up, gaze meeting his. He flinched when he saw her expression. Her brown eyes that were normally so full of life were blank and dead. She just stared for a second before speaking, and when she did, her voice was the same.

"How long were you planning to run away from this?"

His eyes narrowed in anger. "Run away? I did no such thing! I believe you were the one that stole your PET and ran away from me yest-"

"And you stole mother away from me." He stopped immediately, eyes widened in shock at her words. The anger melted from his face, replaced by surprise.

All of a sudden, the life came back into her eyes, except it wasn't the usual happy light. It was pure rage.

"That's right, I know. I know mother is _dead_!" She shouted. "How long did you intend to keep this from me? How long did you intend to_ lie to my face_?! Mother is dead, and it's all your fault!"

"My fault? How is this my fault?" He shouted back, half out of anger and half from shock. Suddenly, she was right up in his face, looking up at him with blazing eyes.

"Because you're the one that divorced her! If you didn't constantly run away from your problems, you two never would've split and she never would have been in that accident! I remember! I remember the fights, all the screaming and shouting! You two thought I was to young to know what was going on, but I knew everything!

"You'd be surprised how much a kid can understand, how perceptive they can be. It's pretty damn scary. Don't think I didn't know exactly what was happening. _I remember_!"

She was breathing hard, tears streaking down her face as she looked up at him. "If you had chased her, if you had _went after her _and told her you were sorry, maybe our family would be different. Maybe we wouldn't be so messed up. Maybe I would have actually known her. Maybe if you had sacrificed your stupid pride and manned up, we would still be a family."

He didn't know what to say. Every single word she said hit home. And it hurt. It hurt to have all of his past regrets shoved in his face.

"But you didn't." Her voice was quiet now, sounding as if her heart was broken. "You didn't go after her. You didn't let her know how much you loved her. You didn't think about your little daughter who was at home watching her family get ripped apart. Instead, you sat back and let it happen."

She stepped away from him, her face wet with tears, and her fists clenched at her sides.

"I can't deal with this. Not right now. Everything's just happening to fast." She said quietly. "That's why I'm going away for awhile. I'm gonna go stay at a friend's and cool off. It's not forever. I'll be back when I'm ready. I'm not running away from this."

She backed up slowly and opened the door, tightening her grip on her duffle bag.

"I'm not you."

With that, she turned around and ran off into the night.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow. A lot happening in this chapter. Kinda depressing, but it explains a lot also.

Well, I wonder who Maylu's planning on staying with. If you catch my drift. ;)

Anyways, I still am not sure who Roll should be paired with, so keep reviewing my your input! Thanks!

See you next chapter!

MI3


	6. Chapter 6: Home? Where is it?

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

Well this is embarrassing... I literally haven't updated this story for like a month. I'm so sorry guys! School has really been grating on my last nerve. Why can't summer last forever?

Twilight: I already PM'd you, albeit a long time ago, but thanks for the feedback!

UpbeatButNegative: Yeah, I agree with you. Maylu's father is a douche. And thanks for the advice on Roll's pairing. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I am mostly positive about who I am picking. Unfortunately, you don't get to find out who it is until next chapter!

On with the story!

* * *

Maylu breathed deeply, tiredly shutting her eyes and leaning her head back. People passing by barely gave the redhead sitting on the bench a second glance. That's what the girl liked about Den City. It was large enough that even late in the night, many people were walking around the streets. She was just another face in the crowd. A face that blended in.

If her father had come out to look for her, it would be awfully difficult to find her in such a busy city. Especially in the dark.

The fourteen year old tugged at her skirt, trying to save some of the warmth in her legs. Cars whizzing by had created quite the breeze, making her wish she had grabbed a jacket on her little escape. The girl had long since stopped crying, and now her brown eyes were only slightly swollen, mostly just bloodshot. She had deemed herself too tired to cry soon after she had left the house.

When she had ran away, it had only been about 7 P.M. Now, after aimlessly walking around, and then having to take a bus to Den Tech, it was sometime around nine. Presently, she was waiting for her ride, for her fall-back plan.

Roll had been mostly silent for the trip. She had spoken out a couple of times before, telling Maylu that maybe this wasn't such a great idea, but soon gave up when she saw her efforts were futile. The pink navi knew from experience just how stubborn the girl could be.

She gazed worriedly up at her Op from her position on the girl's shoulder, trying to discern how much more drama she could take. Perhaps it was a good thing Maylu was getting away for a little bit. It couldn't have been any healthier to stay there. The navi was glad she was on summer break. If school were added to the mix, things would've been a lot worse.

A couple minutes passed as Maylu sat waiting. Suddenly, a car pulled stopped at the curb in front of her. She glanced up, but found it not to be what she had first expected. The window to the pitch black limo rolled down, revealing black and white hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes. Her breath hitched a little in surprise.

"Sakurai?" The boy called out in slight disbelief. "What are you doing out in the city so late at night? Much worse, by yourself?"

Maylu struggled to find words. Although she wanted to tell the other boy, she was finding it difficult to understand him. One day, he was really comforting and friendly, and then the next, he was completely disregarding her. Which boy was he now? Relatable, or distant? Helpful, or harmful?

Her head hurt from the confusion and frustration.

Their eyes locked, and she forgot about giving him a reply. The conversation she had had earlier with Roll about the dual-haired boy came rushing back to her memory. A slight blush tinged her cheeks red, but the sharp wind gave her a valid excuse.

They kept locked gazes, as if challenging the other to break first, yet at the same time, inviting them to try and breach the walls. Maylu remembered the vow she had made herself. The one where she promised Chaud would eventually become her friend.

She was just about to open her mouth to reply, when a second car pulled up behind his, effectively capturing their attention. A window of the pink limo was also rolled down, and a shiny forehead greeted them.

"Hey, Maylu!" Yai called. "Let's go!"

Brown and blue eyes met once more before she looked away, standing up and shifting her feet to begin walking to the more feminine vehicle.

"My ride's here. See you around." Maylu said lamely, sliding in and slamming the door shut. She watched as her limo passed his, and then tore her gaze away, clicking her seatbelt in.

"What was that jerk bothering you for?" Yai quipped in a joking manner. When the younger girl didn't get a response, she sobered up, realizing this wasn't the time.

She spoke again, this time in a much softer tone. "Hey, what's wrong? What's going on?"

Maylu avoided eye contact. "It's nothing."

Yai scoffed and narrowed her eyes skeptically. "I hardly doubt calling me up in short notice and asking for a place to 'crash for the night' is hardly nothing." The blonde gently grabbed hold of the other girl's arm. "Please, Maylu. Tell me what's wrong. I've been your friend for years, and I can tell when you're upset. Seeing you so unhappy makes me sad."

Reluctantly, the redhead raised her eyes, straining to see the younger girl in the dim light of the car. She sighed tiredly. "I promise I'll tell you when we get to your house. I just need a second to think."

Yai nodded acceptingly, willing to wait for the answer. They settled into a silence filled only by the sound of the car engine.

* * *

Yai stared in utter disbelief. Surely Maylu hadn't kept all this bottled inside to herself!

She didn't deserve any of this. Such a sweet girl shouldn't live in such a broken home. It was unbelievable how much had happened in a week's time.

A parent shouldn't be so cruel to their own daughter.

Yai suspected that the girl's sudden rebellion was really years of pent up neglectance and hurt. This behavior didn't sound anything like the Maylu she knew. This Maylu was much more depressed, weary, and closed off.

The two girl's were seated on Yai's giant, pink and yellow bed, dressed for sleep. Maylu had just finished retelling her troubles, getting quite the surprised reaction from her friend. Even Glyde, who could hear the conversation from his PET, was wide eyed amd left speechless.

Roll hoped for Maylu's sake that the young prodigy wouldn't blow this up more than it needed to be.

Yai blinked, then shook her head. "How come you didn't tell me this earlier? You know I would've wanted to help." She peered intensely into the redhead's eyes. Her next words were whispered, as if she thought too much sound would provoke an outburst from Maylu. "I know that I can never understand what you're going through, and neither can the rest of the boys, but we will _always_ be here for you. Through thick and thin. Next time, you should let us help you. Keeping this locked inside can't be good for you."

The redhead smiled, touched by her friend's devotion and concern. She nodded. "I will. And thank you, Yai. Thanks for letting me stay here, and for making me feel better."

Yai pulled her in for a hug. "Of course. What are friend's for?" Maylu squeezed back. "And you can stay for as long as you want. Whether it's one night, or a thousand, you're always welcome here."

Maylu smiled over the girl's shoulder, although it was a little sad.

Home was supposed to be where one felt the safest. Then, how come Maylu felt safer in Yai's?

The girls talked for a little longer, mostly about nothing special. It was the kind of conversation you would hear in a typical female sleepover. The redhead thought it was nice to be able to talk about nonsense so freely. Maybe she should do this more often.

Hours flew by until they could no longer keep the sleepiness from their eyes. Yawning widely, the girls crawled under the thick covers of the gigantic bed. Maylu moved around until she was comfortable, her mind getting foggier by the second.

"Goodnight, Yai."

"Goodnight."

The redhead let her heavy eyelids finally fall shut. She'd have to figure out when to go back to her dad, and what to say to her other friends soon... But that could wait till morning...

* * *

Author's Note: So, not much has happened in this chapter. I guess it explains some stuff, but for now, it will have to do. Hopefully you still enjoyed reading it. :)

Input on Roll's pairing is still welcome although I pretty much have the answer already!

MI3


	7. Chapter 7: Pinkies

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Megaman, but I do own this plotline!

I sincerely apologize for not updating in so long! I've been slacking off all my stories lately due to homework, sports, and a lot of laziness! I finally cranked this chapter out and I'm pretty satisfied with it! Keep in mind that right now it's like 1 in the morning, so if there are any mistakes, please attribute it to the fact that I'm extremely tired, and not that I'm retarded.

UpbeatButNegative: Yup, I pretty much just let my imagination loose on this story. Maylu's mom is dead, and her father is a douche. But as for the pairings go, you're accurate enough. I just hope I can pull it off right! And yes, I agree. That staredown was quite awkward.

Guest: ProtomanXRoll is what my story is leaning into... As I said before, I hope I can do it in a way that's realistic and not totally OOC. I'm probably not going to make Lan/Mega jealous though, mostly since it's just to much of a hassle, and my story already has enough drama XD Thanks for reviewing!

KailaMobianFoxGi: Haha, sorry for causing you such inner turmoil! :) Thanks for the review!

Twilight: That sucks! I hope you're feeling better! (Even though it's been like two months... But it's the thought that counts, right?) Yeah, I really like seeing the girls bond since it's pretty much them and a bunch of stinky boys. The show didn't really emphasize their friendship enough for me, so I thought I would make up for it in my story! :)

So here's a super long chapter just for all my patient readers! Enjoy!

* * *

"How bout this one, Yai?" Maylu stepped out of the dressing room, a poofy pink and white dress clinging to her form. She twirled and the skirt puffed up even more.

"You look like a marshmellow!" The other girl commented with a giggle. Both girls laughed as Maylu continued to twirl.

The two teens were out on a shopping trip. So far, they hadn't bought anything, but had tried on numerous different outfits.

The redhead changed back into her regular skirt and vest and the pair left the store. After about thirty more minutes of looking around, they had purchased a few jewelry items from the street vendors.

They had just decided to head to another mall when Maylu's PET started beeping.

"Hey," Roll called out. "Lan's calling!"

Her netop raised her eyebrows in surprise and told Roll to connect the call. Her friend's face filled the screen.

"Oi! There you are!"

Maylu gave a small, sarcastic wave. "Here I am!"

The brunette frowned into the camera. "I've been trying to find you all day! You weren't home or anything, so where are you?"

Yai stood beside Maylu so she could include herself in the conversation. "She's with me! And really, she hasn't been home for three days! Took you long enough to finally notice!"

Lan sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Three days, eh? My bad. Megaman and I have been pretty busy lately."

Maylu just rolled her eyes. "By any chance, is 'busy' codeword for netbattling?"

"Hey! I need to make sure Mega and I are ready for anything! You never know what kind of mission we'll be called in for!" He puffed out a cheek indignantly before adopting a curious expression. "By the way, why _are_ you with Yai? I mean it's not like it's normal to hang out with a friend for three days straight."

The redhead bit the inside of her cheek in a mix of thought and slight panic. She didn't really want to worry Lan about something like this. Plus, she didn't want to ruin their playful friendship with something so heavy.

"Who said it's any of your business?" Yai stepped in for Maylu, seeing her inner conflict. "And are you saying that my companionship isn't desirable enough for her?!"

Lan's attention was easily diverted as Yai smoothly changed the topic. "Hey! Don't put words in my mouth! I just said that it's unusual for people to spend so much time with each other at one time, even if they're best friends!"

The blonde planted a fist against each hip and glared into the screen. "I'm watching you, Hikari. Why did you call, anyways?"

Lan grinned. "Oh yeah! I was wondering if Maylu wanted to come over later!"

Maylu's heart squeezed. Was this a date? Was Lan finally acknowledging her for more than a friend? Could it be possible that Lan wasn't as dense as everyone thought?

"I needed some help on the math homework that's due at the end of summer. Mama said I shouldn't leave it for the last week."

The redhead deflated a little. Nope. Still as aggravatingly oblivious as ever. She sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be over around two. See' ya later."

"Wait, Maylu-"

She cut off the communication and huffed annoyedly. Yai shook her head.

"That boy..." She patted the taller girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, Maylu! He's got to grow up sometime soon. And when he does, he'll definitely notice how amazing you are!"

Maylu pursed her lips. "I'm not sure I'm willing to wait that long." She started walking toward the exit. "I know I'm only fifteen, but I just feel like if he really was going to fall in love with me or something, then he would've at least noticed me by now."

There was a moment of quiet as they climbed into the awaiting limo. Maylu breathed deeply. "Well pouting about this isn't gonna help anyone." She grinned. "Besides, I need to focus on shopping. To the mall!"

* * *

"Call me when you wanna get picked up!" Yai called out the window before the car began to drive off.

Maylu turned to the blue house in front of her. She couldn't help but glance at the pink one next to it. As she had suspected, her father's car wasn't there.

Probably at work. Again. She rolled her eyes and then proceded to knock on the door.

Haruka answered, wiping one hand on her apron and smiling broadly. "Maylu! Oh yes, Lan mentioned you would be coming by. Come in!"

Maylu returned the smile and stepped inside, lightly gripping her backpack that was slung over one shoulder. "Hi, Mrs. Hikari! Where's Lan?"

"In his room with his friend. Just go ahead and let yourself in!" With that, she returned to the kitchen where a sweet smell was drifting out.

Lan had another friend over? Maylu shrugged and climbed the stairs to his room. As long as it wasn't a girl...

Muffled voices came from the other side of the door. She raised a hand and knocked loudly.

"Who is it?" A voice, she identified as Lan's, called.

"Who do you think, moron?" She shouted back. There was a suspiciously sarcastic sounding response, but Maylu couldn't quite make out what he said. She twisted the handle only to find that it was locked. "Just let me in, Lan!"

His gleeful voice greeted her from just behind the door. "Not until you say please!"

She gritted her teeth before mockingly answering, "Please."

"Now you have to say that I'm much smarter than you and better than you in everything!"

Maylu smirked slightly and scathingly replied. "Fine. I'm much smarter than you and better than you in everything!"

"Hey - That's not what I meant!" Lan whined. The redhead heard some chuckling in the background from whoever was observing their bickering. From the sound of it, it definitely wasn't a girl.

"I'm not letting you in until you say it right!"

"Oh for the love of..." Maylu undid her hairpin and crammed it into the little hole of the doorknob. Once she heard the click, she pushed hard on the door, catching Lan off guard. It swung open easily as he was knocked down onto his backside.

Maylu stepped inside triumphantly, opening her mouth to rub it in his face when her eyes caught on the person sitting on his bed. Chocolate brown eyes took in the white hair, red jacket, green army pants, and his own sharp blue eyes.

"Chaud?"

* * *

Lan watched from his position on the ground as his childhood friend's eyes widened.

"Chaud?" She asked in surprise.

The brunette saw his other friend nod slightly. "Sakurai."

Maylu seemed to recover a little. "What are you doing here?"

Lan stood up, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance. "We were practice netbattling earlier and Mama's making pie for us, so he's just gonna stay over. I tried telling you earlier, but you hung up on me!"

She laughed embarrassedly. "Oh. Right. Sorry about that, by the way."

Lan just rolled his eyes and flopped onto the bed beside Chaud. Maylu was acting _weird _today. It's not like she didn't like Chaud, right? From the way she was avoiding eye contact and how she was suddenly very quiet, it almost seemed like she was nervous about something.

She quickly plugged in Roll to his Homepage so she could talk to Megaman and Protoman. Maylu tossed her backpack onto the ground and casually sat next to him. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she pushed him.

"Ow!" Lan muttered. "What was that for?"

The redhead gave him a stare. "Wasn't the whole point of me being here to help you with math?"

"Oh yeah..." Lan said unenthusiastically. There was another moment of quiet.

"Well then, go get your book!" Maylu finally just shoved him off the bed. He barely managed to prevent another impact with the ground. Lan grumbled about 'pushy girls,' and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Maylu questioned in confusion.

He turned to face her, halfway out the room. "My backpack's downstairs. Be back in a flash!"

With that, he dashed down the stairs. If he was lucky, Mama would give him a taste of the pie...

* * *

Maylu huffed and leaned against a pilllow. "I swear, that boy..."

Then she seemed to realize that she was all alone in Lan's room. With Chaud. Sitting on a bed. And no one was talking.

This was gonna be interesting.

"So, you guys were netbattling?" She decided to start the conversation. If she had to deal with any more choking silences, then she would go insane.

He locked his hands around one bent knee and shut his eyes. "Yeah."

"Who won?" She was desperate for something to talk about. He kept his eyes closed, still reclining slightly.

"We tied."

She narrowed her eyes. She preferred the silence over such choppy answers. The girl began to ask something else when she was cut off. Chaud now had his eyes opened, and he was peering at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Sakurai, what were you doing that night in DenTech?" She subconsciously brushed her hair out of her face. He didn't beat around the bush.

She paused. It wasn't like she couldn't trust him. On the contrary, she had already told him half her story. It was just, he had seemed so cold to her before, and she was afraid he would be the same now. Would he laugh if she admitted that she was running away from her father? No. He might be detached, but he was not as cruel as one would think.

She peered out the door. Lan wasn't coming up the stairs anytime soon. Maylu bit her lip and made up her mind.

"Look, you can't tell Lan any of this, okay?" She said. "He wouldn't understand."

He nodded slightly, fully facing her now.

She stuck out a pinky finger. "You have to promise you won't tell him, or anyone else."

He unlatched one of his hands from around his knee and wrapped his around her pinky finger. "I promise."

They stayed that way for a second, eyes once again locked, though it wasn't as awkward as she expected. He had pretty eyes.

She smiled slightly and pulled her hand away. Her smile became softer, sadder. "My mom died."

Those pretty blue eyes widened in shock, though the rest of his face remained mostly impassive. But Maylu had see it. Even though it had lasted for merely a fraction of a second, she had see the raw grief flit across his face. Maybe he wasn't the impenetrable robot he tried to make himself out to be.

Tears began to well in her own eyes, although she thought her's were much more dull and jaded than his. He watched her silently as she took a shuddering breath and forced herself to calm down. One tear slipped down her cheek. His hand twitched upward, as if to brush it away, before the sound of footsteps diverted their attention.

"Guys! The pie's ready!" Lan burst in, crumbs scattered around his mouth. Maylu turned around as if to put away her binder and quickly swiped the heel of her palm against her wet eyes.

When she turned back, a playful scowl was plastered on her face and she was hopping off the bed. "Don't try to get out of your homework, Hikari! We'll do it first thing after we've finished!"

She didn't notice the concerned gaze that followed her out the door.

* * *

Lan guiltily finished the slice of pie he had sneaked from his Mama when she wasn't watching. He should probably get back to Maylu and Chaud before they worried about him. He hoped that Maylu wouldn't be upset with him for taking so long. Perhaps some pie would ease her wrath.

The brunette took the steps two at a time, flinging his bedroom door open. "Guys! The pie's ready!"

The moment he had stepped into the room, Lan had felt a shift, almost as if he had disturbed some kind of tension. He may not have been the brightest lightbulb in the room, but he had enough intuition to realize that he had interrupted something of importance.

But, Maylu simply jumped off the bed and began her normal nagging. Maybe he had imagined it all...

"I know, I know! We'll eat some pie and then do the math later, okay?"

He didn't notice how her eyes were slightly puffy as she flashed him a fake grin.

* * *

Author's Note: That was kind of long... And sorry if you were confused since it sorta changed perspectives a lot...

Things to remember:

1. I am a busy (a.k.a. lazy) person, therefore, updates will probably be slow.

2. Most likely, this story will be ProtomanXRoll.

3. Yes, Maylu is fifteen in this story. Why? Because I said so.

4. It's late and I'm tired... So sorry if I sound a little pissy right now...

5. Make Monday a little better for me, and REVIEW!


	8. Chapter 8: Curiosity

Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.

AH! So sorry for the long wait! I had a ton going on these past few months, plus a little writers' block... It sucked. Lately I've been trying to catch up on all my fics, and this one was my main priority.

**KaySlay**: No worries! I forget passwords all the time! And thanks so much for the review! I'm super happy you're enjoying this :) And again, sorry for keeping you waiting XD

* * *

Roll clenched and unclenched her hands impatiently, watching as navis of all kinds passed by her. She stood in the middle of Net City, waiting and searching for the right navi. She felt slightly guilty about going against Maylu's back, but it had to be done, for her benefit.

"You wanted to talk?" The voice startled her, and Roll whirled around, eyes wide, one hand clutching at her navi symbol. She exhaled and then glared heatedly at the tall navi in front of her.

"What, are you trying to give me a heart-attack, Protoman?"

His lips just twitched upwards in the makings of a smirk. "I wasn't aware that navis had hearts."

Roll crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance. She opened her mouth to argue back, but he cut her off.

"Did you need something?"

The irritation dissolved off her face in an instant, leaving behind a more worried expression. She bit her lip and looked around at all the navis walking around them, some were shooting them curious glances as the two interrupted the flow of movement.

"Maybe we should go somewhere less crowded." Roll turned back to the crimson navi, who was still watching her, and motioned for him to follow. They ended up walking until they had reached a square that had considerably less navis. Their pace became slower as they walked along, steps falling in sync.

"I'm worried about Maylu," Roll began. "I know she's going through a hard time, but she's isn't dealing with this in a healthy way. Instead of talking this out with her father, she just sort of blew up on him and created all this family tension. I'm not saying she didn't have the right to be angry, but at the same time, she's going about this all wrong. Maylu has criticized her father on his evasiveness of personal issues, but she's beginning to do the same.

"Ever since we stayed at Yai's, she's avoided any conversations I try to start about her father. She pushes it away and is ignorant to her own actions. Plus, she's been wearing herself out from all her fake 'cheerfulness' and I'm afraid that one day she's just gonna break. I don't think that it's very good for her to keep turning a blind eye to her problems. She needs to find a solution to this that will set things right in a sensible way. But I'm afraid she just isn't willing to listen to what I say. She just writes it off as me being too worried, or sensitive."

Protoman stared straight ahead, attentive to the little pink navi. "I'm failing to see how I fit into this situation. No offense."

Her eyes flicked to his face, but immediately returned to the path in front of her. She took a deep breath, not quite sure how he was going to react to this.

"Well," Roll started a little nervously, "She's refusing to listen to common sense, and obviously my nagging isn't helping at all, so, I was sorta wondering if - well, if you could get Chaud to talk to her for me."

The crimson navi stopped, turning his head to look down at her by his side. Roll couldn't tell what he was thinking, and she couldn't see what his expression was like due to the visor that hid his eyes. She could only hope that he wasn't going to immediately shoot her request down.

She found herself wondering what he really looked like underneath the helmet and the shades. Did he show more emotion than what could be seen now? What did he look like? What color were his eyes?

After a second, Protoman faced forward once more and began walking. Roll, having stopped when he did, lengthened her strides to catch up with him.

"And you think she'll listen to Chaud?" He asked, a hint of a disbelieving scoff hardening his voice. "You presume she's going to value the opinion of a boy she hardly knows over that of a navi she's had for years?"

Roll stopped walking once again and turned her body to face him. He was forced to stop along with her. She looked straight into his visor, where his eyes should be. "She listened to him once. What makes you think she won't listen to him again?" She challenged him, refusing to be intimidated by his height or unpenetrable shades.

They stood in silence as he pondered her question. Finally, he crossed his arms, folding them over his chest. "If I did agree to this, how did you plan on pulling it off?"

Roll smiled. At least he was considering it.

"I was thinking that you could persuade Chaud, in a subtle way, that he should just check up on her or something. You know, to make sure she's doing okay. I mean, if they talk and get to know each other, then gradually, you could hint to Chaud about advising her to work things out with her father. That way they'll get to know each other better, and she can solve this whole father-daughter issue."

Protoman pondered the options. His Op was always busy, and catering to a troubled girl wouldn't help him with his duties or stress levels... But he had also been noticing how Chaud had been isolating himself more and more lately. Perhaps it would be good for him to open up and gain a new friend...

"Fine," He sighed, "I'll go along with your little plan."

Roll beamed up at him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Protoman! I just know this is going to work!"

He coughed uncomfortably, turning away so she didn't see his embarrassed blush. "Yeah, whatever. Just bring your Netop to the library at noon, okay?"

He logged out before she could reply, but the smile still stayed on her face. Maybe Protoman wasn't as emotionless as everyone thought.

* * *

Chaud sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was standing inside the entrance to the Dentech public library. How in the world had he gotten sucked into this?

"Sir, you've received an email from one of your company advisors." Oh yeah, that's how.

"Ignore it." The boy glared at his navi, the source of his trouble, but said nothing more. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against a wall beside the front doors.

It's not like he disliked the girl. On the contrary, she intrigued him. He just didn't quite understand why he was so interested in the first place. He wasn't usually one to meddle with other people's business in the past, so why start now? It confused as well as disturbed him. Perhaps he was more concerned about this girl than he had originally thought. But even that didn't make sense. It's not like he knew the girl well. He had interacted slightly with her during the whole Bass and cruise ship epidemic, but other than that, they were hardly even aquaintances. His mind flashed back to the talk he had had with Protoman the night before.

_"She seemed quite troubled at Hikari's the other day." His navi had said after the redhead had somehow become the topic of their conversation. Chaud was filling in some reports, and had found himself discussing the girl with his navi._

_"Hmm." He agreed half-heartedly and continued to research his work. There was a second of silence._

_"I wonder why she was alone that one time in the city. Strange isn't it?" Protoman continued vaguely, testing his operator out. So far, the teen's focus was mostly on his business work. Maybe a different approach would catch his attention._

_"I heard she is no longer living at her own house, that she is now staying with Yai." He stated it casually, as if this was just normal gossip. As if he was one to engage in normal gossip. "I also heard she told off her father, and is falling into depression. Hopefully she isn't suicidal."_

_The typing on the keyboard halted, and Chaud turned his attention to his navi, eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "And just where have you been hearing this, Protoman? Funny, I didn't think you were one for gossip." He stated suspiciously._

_The navi shrugged one armored shoulder. "I was talking with Megaman and Roll for quite some time while you guys studied. It was bound to come up sometime or other."_

_The boy said nothing, so Protoman continued. It was time for the little push..._

_"Aren't you the slightest bit worried for her well-being? Perhaps you should talk with her, just to make sure she's okay."_

_"Doesn't she have her own friends?" The Vice President questioned._

_"Obviously they aren't helping much if she is still struggling so bad. All I'm saying is that you were in a similar situation before, and maybe she just needs someone who understands her. Besides, it really couldn't hurt just to check in." He waited tensely, hoping he hadn't hinted to hard._

_Chaud sighed and went back to his computer. "Send a message to ask her when she is open to meet."_

_Protoman almost smiled. Bingo. Curiousity killed the cat._

_"Right away, Sir."_

Chaud ran a hand through his hair and flicked it to the side. This girl interested him more than he had expected.

His eye caught on a head of red hair entering the semi-busy library. He pushed off the wall and strode over to meet her.

"Chaud! So what did you want to talk about?" Just then, her stomach growled loudly and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

He smirked. "First, we should find something to eat."

She nodded sheepishly and they exited the library. They walked for about a block or two before stopping at a deli. She ordered a salad, and he bought a sandwich. The meal was eaten in a semi-comfortable silence. Both seemed slightly lost in thought. Inside their PETs, the navis observed intently, as if watching animals in a zoo.

The boy finished first, and waited politely for her to eat the rest of her salad. She squirmed slightly as the silence had now stretched into an awkward gap. She brought her fork down at a cherry tomato, but it slipped away. She tried again, a little more vigorously, but it just rolled to the other side of her plate. Growing flustered, she stabbed at it, and the tomato promptly flew off her plate and bounced underneath somebody else's table. She growled and dropped her fork onto the plate in frustration. Maylu heard a small cough and looked up to see an amused Chaud stifling his chuckle behind a closed fist. Her face heated up and she shot him a half-hearted glare. His laughing blue eyes remained unaffected.

She cleared her throat, attempting to regain some of her dignity. Her hand drifted towards her PET to pay for her meal, but was disrupted when the other teen abrubtly stood.

"Don't worry about the tab. It's on me." Before she could protest, he had already walked to the counter and paid for both their meals in zenny. She allowed herself to be a little impressed by his gentlemanly habits.

"Thank you," She said as he rejoined her at their table. He nodded and sat back down. The deli was mostly empty and peaceful besides one or two people at other tables, so they both just stayed where they were.

Neither said a word. Chaud was gazing out the window, not completely sure how he was supposed to begin this. It wasn't like he could approach this in a business like fashion. He imagined that starting a conversation off with, 'You have exactly two minutes to convince me of your current situation,' wouldn't go over so well. He was an expert in running a company, not counseling! He once again wondered at how on earth he had been persuaded into doing this. Friendship wasn't exactly his strongest area, especially when it came to this paricular female who he couldn't seem to figure out.

His dilemma was dispelled though when a huff escaped the girl in front of him. She looked him in the eye. "Look, neither of us are ones to beat around the bush, so just get to the point. Why exactly did you want to meet up with me today?"

He raised a dark eyebrow in surprise. But before he could reply, she continued.

"Last time I checked, you didn't really enjoy interacting with others. Or me. In fact, I was pretty sure you were disinterested when I tried talking to you about my life that day at the arcade." She paused as if in thought, and then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did Roll put you up to this? I know she's been worried about me, but really, I'm fine. I realize she's concerned about what's been going on, and I'm sure she thinks I'm getting all moody because of it, but seriously, it's not that big of a deal. I mean, I wouldn't want to disturb you or anything. You probably have a lot to deal with, and I don't want you regarding me as some kind of charity case. Please, if that's what it is, I think we should just drop it." She ignored that fact that she had begun to rant a little as she continued speaking, and looked at the boy expectantly.

He blinked. 'Disinterested'? 'Fine'? 'Charity case'?

"I was just going to say that I would be willing to tutor you and Roll in netbattling if you wanted." He smoothly covered up. "Unless, you would rather not..."

"Tutor... Netabattling?" It was Maylu's turn to blink. His words confused her. She had been almost ninety-nine percent positive that he had only come because Roll had asked him too. But lessons in netbattling? That definitely wasn't something she had expected.

"You want to tutor me?" She asked again. He nodded. "But... but why? I mean, why all of a sudden, and why us?"

He crossed his arms and shrugged. "Roll is fast. She has good agility, plus, you have been improving in your operating skills. With just a little bit of practice, you could both be experts in sword battling." Chaud slid down a little in his seat, but maintained eye contact the entire time. "It's your call. Do you want to, or not?"

Maylu thought about it for a second. It was kind of unusual for him to just suddenly offer something this big to her for nothing. Especially from how out of the blue it was. Her memory flashed back to watching him and Lan netbattle in the arcade. She hated feeling helpless. She hated being the damsel in distress. Maybe this was a window of opportunity for her.

"Yeah. I do." She agreed, meeting his gaze steadily. "I think it's a really good idea."

He smirked and stood from his seat. She followed. "Good. Meet me at my house by noon tomorrow. We'll begin then."

He turned to walk out, but a hand on his shoulder halted him. "Chaud!" Maylu exclaimed. "Thanks. For everything."

He turned his head slightly, peering at her from over his shoulder. A little half smirk curved his lips. "You're welcome."

With that, he walked out of the deli, leaving her to her own thoughts. Once outside, the smirk faded from his face. He exhaled loudly. _What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

Author's Note: Finally updated! I'm actually pretty happy with this chapter! I feel like it described their personalities in different ways. Now, we can finally move onto the actual process of them becoming legit friends... and maybe more ;) I thought the whole cover-up, 'I just want to teach you netbattling' excuse from Chaud was pretty good at representing his ability to improvise and detect peoples emotions...

Tell me what you thought! I'd love it if you reviewed :)

MI3


	9. Chapter 9: Friendly

Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman.

It's been a while! Sorry bout the delay! Hopefully this makes up for it!

Amalasuintha: I'm glad you are enjoying it even if you aren't one for Maylu/Chaud! And yes, I'll have to agree with you on the fact that Protoman would just look plain silly if he were to be active in gossip, haha XD

DeeeeeJux: Thanks! I'm happy you like it!

Kayslay: No worries! That stuff happens to me all the time! And yes, I think the training sessions will be pretty fun to write!

* * *

Maylu pressed the huge gate's buzzer. Apparently the butler had already been notified of her visit, because the gate swung open without her needing to identify herself. The pathway extended through a giant lawn complete with fountains, flowers and neatly trimmed bushes. Her eyes widened at the sight of the building in front of her.

_House? Are you kidding me? More like a mansion!_ She thought to herself. She looked up the steps to the front door to see Chaud patiently waiting along with the butler who was holding open the doors. Maylu was definitely impressed. As she came toward him, the boy stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded in her direction.

"Follow me." Without another word, he turned on his heel and proceeded inside. She blinked at his upfront attitude, but then told herself that she should be used to it already.

The inside of the mansion was just as fancy, if not more, than the outside. Polished mahogany tables that sported silver candleholders and vases lined the walls. A beautiful chandaleir hung over two symmetrical staircases that connected at the top. The curtains and tableclothes were crimson with gold trimming, and the walls were dark and wooden. It looked like something out of the fairy tale books she used to read as a child. Her shoes clicked on the shiny marble floor, and the room was large enough that the sound echoed off the walls.

Someone cleared their throat, and Maylu turned her head to see Chaud watching her with barely concealed amusement from a doorway to her right. She should've felt embarrassed, but instead, she laughed light-heartedly and spun once in a circle.

"Your house is amazing!" She laughed again, not really caring if he or his butler were judging her. "Everything's so pretty, I'm surprised that you would ever even want to leave this place!"

Chaud smirked lightly as she continued to gaze around in awe. "You do know that this is only the entrance hall, right?"

Her eyes glittered, and she jumped up and down. "Can you show me the rest, please? I promise we can get to training right after! I just really want to see everything else! Plus, if you show me around now, I won't get lost later, or have to bug you about where to go! And I won't need some-"

"Yes, I'll show you around." He cut off her excited rant with a nonchalant wave of a hand. She beamed.

"Master Chaud," The butler, who had been observing, stepped forward and addressed the young teen. "Would you rather have me lead the Lady on the customary tour?"

Chaud shook his head. "No. It's fine, Lawrence. I'll take her myself." The butler raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Usually Master Chaud was very busy working, and did not offer to give tours personally at all. Perhaps he was just in an exceptional mood.

The cherry-headed girl eagerly tugged on the boy's sleeve. "Let's go! I want to see everything!"

He shook his head and began walking towards one of the side doors. "C'mon then. We'll start downstairs and then go up to the second, and third floors." She followed him, paying rapt attention to what he was saying. "This hallway leads to..."

...

"Even though you showed me everything, I still have absolutely no idea where anything is."

Two hours had passed since her arrival, and Maylu was almost exhausted from exploring the mansion. If she had thought it looked huge from the outside, the inside proved to be even more impressive. There were whole rooms dedicated solely to special events, parties, fancy dinners, and who knows what else. There was even an indoor swimming pool, movie room, and sports gym, not to mention all the other personal offices and bedrooms. Maylu didn't know there were so many things one could build in a house.

"You'll get used to it eventually." Chaud pulled open a set of grand black double doors, and held them open for her. She was mildly surprised at his gentlemanly behavior, but figured he had probably been raised with such manners since he was a child.

Upon entering the room, she took in the technology scattered around. In the middle of the room, at the very center, there was a netbattling arena.

"This is where we will be training." He announced and moved over to the arena. "Jack in Protoman."

There was a flash, and then the red navi's hologram appeared in front of them. "It works like any standard arena, except it is of higher quality." He pressed a button on the control panel in front of him as he explained, and three plain gray navis materialized. "This button," he pressed a control panel with an arrow pointing up, "sets the level of navi you spar with. The highest it goes is seven."

As he pressed the key, a number appeared and flashed from one up to seven. The three navis suddenly gained busters, swords, and even a crossbow. The word 'begin' popped up in big letters, and in seconds, they were attacking Protoman with speed that made Maylu's eyes dart around the screen. She couldn't even tell where they were moving besides a little blur of gray here or there. Shots fired around, and blades sliced the air at a rapid pace. The crimson navi showed minimal effort and simply dodged their attacks. After a few seconds of displaying his agility, his arm formed into its trademark sword, and he quickly finished off his opponents.

"Wow." Roll exclaimed. "How fast were they moving?"

"Fast enough." Chaud replied. He motioned with his hand to the redhead. "Go ahead and plug Roll in."

Maylu stepped forward and did as she was instructed. The pink navi was displayed beside Protoman. The company vice president turned his attention to the controls and pressed a button. A level one navi appeared on the screen. "We'll start out at the bottom."

The girl shrugged and reached for her chips, but she was stopped when the other teen held out a hand. "No help allowed. This is a test." She reluctantly handed him her chips, which he stored in his vest pocket. "Let's see what she can do."

The match began, and Roll slid to the side as the navi started firing attacks at her with his buster. The navi's assaults were sloppy and slow however, and Roll dispatched him almost immediately with a roll arrow to the chest. Protoman stood to the side and observed silently.

Another navi appeared, this time it was level two, and the battle began. This navi had slightly more accurate shots, but stood no chance to Roll's speedy attacks, and it too was struck with a clean shot from her bow. As soon as that navi disappeared, another showed up. This one was a swordsman, and Roll was forced to gain distance. She flipped away from the blade, and ducked under his swings. As the navi stumbled from a thrust that was too powerful, Roll darted behind him, took her opening, and ended the match with a heart slash. She turned her head as the data particles floated away, and looked for approval from the other navi, but he gave no indication of disappointment or satisfication, so she returned her attention to the new navi that had showed up.

It was considerably more difficult to get the better of the level four navi since its speed and strength was much more, almost double, than the others she had fought. The navi had only a normal buster, but it was deadly accurate with its shots. Unlike the last match, she wasn't safe with distance, and had to rely solely on her agility. Roll ducked, flipped, and spun around the bullets, doing her best to avoid injury. With every shot the navi took, the more she began to be pushed toward the edge of the arena. If she didn't act now, she would be cornered and eventually defeated.

Staying light on her feet, she back flipped until she was standing right on the edge. The navi advanced, all the while firing as she backed away. The navi had gotten close now, and Roll was just barely avoiding getting shot. Finally she saw an opportunity arrive when the navi came within jumping distance. As it fired another shot, she pushed off the ground, twisting midair until she landed behind the navi. It followed her movements and turned, but she was too close and too fast, and she hit him directly with a roll flash over and over until he was the one at the edge. With one final kick to the chest, it was sent spiralling off the arena and deleted.

Roll attempted to catch her breath after fighting the four navis nonstop, and was not prepared when something collided painfully into her side and caused her to skid across the floor, landing on her side.

"Roll!" Maylu worriedly called. She had been forced to refrain from warning her navi because of Chaud's strict, 'no help' policy, but watching her navi get hurt was wearing on her nerves. She knew Roll was quickly running out of energy, but she had to have faith that her navi could do this.

The pink navi looked up to see a bulky, level five navi coming quickly at her from above with a vicious looking mace. Her eyes widened and she instinctively rolled to the side, the mace smashing the ground to bits where she had just been laying. The navi lifted the weapon again and swung it down, but Roll had slid onto her feet and away just in time. She jumped away, panting, and eyed her opponent. From his thick build, and heavy weapon, she deduced that speed would not be his strong point. If she could dodge its attacks for a little longer, then she would have time to think up a plan. But her idea was thwarted when the navi suddenly disappeared, vanishing in a flash.

She had not been expecting teleportation as one of the navi's assets, and her panic spiked. Suddenly, the navi materialized right in front of her, and before she could react, the mace was swung directly into her stomach, sending her flying through the air and landing with a thud right by Protoman's feet. Roll coughed and clutched her stomach, little streams of data beginning to leak out. But one glance up at the tall navi before her sent determination to fuel her motivation.

If Roll wanted to learn and improve from him, than she needed to prove that she was worth teaching.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to her feet, narrowing her eyes and studying the massive navi. Her mind whirred a million miles per hour. There had to be someway to beat him. The navi moved closer, although it wasn't teleporting, and she paced away from it so they were treading in a circle around one another. Roll mentally calculated her disadvantages.

The navi had size, as well as strength on her. It also could teleport, therefore making it virtually impossible for her to run away from it. Plus the fact that she was injured and leaking more data than she thought was safe. There didn't seem to be much she could do in this situation. Her advantages? Well, she knew that the bigger they were, the harder they fell, but she wasn't sure whether or not she would be able to even get in a clean shot.

Her best bet was long distance attacks, so Roll formed her bow and began firing arrows at the navi. A few struck their mark, but unfortunately, they were slower than her other attacks, and the navi, despite its mass, was successful in avoiding most of them.

Maylu was practically biting her nails in nervousness. She knew she had to have faith in Roll's ability, but this level five navi seemed to have every advantage on Roll. Chaud on the other hand, was completely calm and watching the battle with interest. The girl couldn't tell if he was impressed or uncaring.

Roll smiled, an idea running through her head. Before she could change her mind, she began to act. The only way to defeat this navi was through a direct attack. With a mighty breath, she started sprinting towards the navi. When she was close enough, she blew a kiss at the navi, attacking him with her heart slash before sliding to the ground right behind her attack. As the hearts exploded against the navi, effectively distracting it, she slid right between it's legs, sticking an arm out as she passed and knocking the navi off its feet. He fell backwards ungracefully and she took her chance.

Roll leapt up and was on top of the navi in hardly a second's time, her yellow antennas whipping back and forth at impressive speed. The simulation navi didn't have an opening to retaliate. But even though Roll was now in the advantage she could still tell that her attacks weren't doing enough damage. It would take a thousand more hits before the navi was even close enough to be deleted.

She made up her mind, halting her roll flash assaults. She tightened her knees around the massive navi's torso, her legs just managing to touch the ground, and raised her right hand above her head. She only had one shot at this. A single roll arrow formed in her hand. She gripped it tightly, and jammed it as hard as she could at the navi below her.

There was a bright flash, and Roll was forced to close her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, her mind stuttered to a halt. The level five navi wasn't under her anymore. Her arrow stuck out from the ground, deeply imbedded, but there was not flowing data to match.

It must have teleported a split second before her attack.

She whipped around in alarm, desperately searching the arena for the navi. This was not good, at all. An almost unnoticeable noise sounded behind her, and she turned just in time to see the navi appear at her back. His mace had turned into a long, deadly sword, and it was heading straight for her.

Roll didn't have time, or the defense, to protect herself. She covered her face with her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact.

But it never came.

The pink navi heard a clanging sound from above and her eyes shot open. Protoman had stepped in the moment he saw that she was defeated. His glowing red sword countered that of the bulky navi's, and with seemingly no effort at all, he sliced through its blank navi seal. The digital 'Deleted' data floated away instantly.

Protoman landed almost cat-like on the ground and turned to face the female navi. She found it impossible to see anything past his visor, and her nerves started swelling up. Did she fail? She hadn't even been close to making it to seven! He was most definitely disappointed in her, she just knew it.

But her thoughts were interrupted as the crimson navi gave a curt nod. "You did well."

She sighed in relief, but hissed in pain when her arm brushed against the gash in her side. Her gaze swept over her body and was surprised to find that there were mostly only smaller injuries on her arms and legs, not including the two wounds on her torso.

Back in the training room, Chaud handed Maylu her chips, and the girl immediately slotted in a recovery chip. Once she was sure Roll would be fine, she turned to the other teen.

"Do you think Roll will be able to eventually get to the seventh navi?"

He met her gaze steadily. "With some training, yes." Maylu smiled. "She needs some extra attention on her defense, and we probably should test her other skills with different chips as well. We'll most likely start with the sword since her speed and accuracy will fit well with it."

"You sure it's not just because you and Protoman favor the sword?" Maylu asked, slightly teasing.

Chaud smirked and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "That could possibly contribute. But, who else is better for her to learn from either than the best?"

Maylu almost wanted to roll her eyes at that. Boys would be boys, boasting and all. She laughed softly instead, and was surprised at how easy it was to be casual around him. She had expected it to be awkward, especially after his borderline cold attitude that he seemed to adopt around her when they were in groups.

His lips twitched like he wanted to laugh with her, but he just continued on. "I think we've done enough today, and Roll should rest."

She followed him out of the dim tech room and back through the endless halls of his huge house. They turned into the main corridor, the one with the front door, and prepared to thank him for his help before his butler - Lawrence, Maylu remembered - interrupted.

"Sir, dinner will be served shortly," the polite man informed. "Perhaps Lady Sakurai would wish to join you?"

Chaud turned with a questioning gaze to her. She gaped for a moment, surprised at the kind offer. It sounded nice.

"I would... really like that." The girl smiled warmly at the butler and he bowed slightly in return before gesturing to a the grand staircase that led to the dining room.

"If you would please?"

She nodded and went on ahead, completely missing the glare that Chaud shot to the butler.

He knew exactly what Lawrence was doing. This was just another one of his ploys to get him to be more 'sociable.'

A small smile formed the man's lips, and he leaned in to speak quietly to the teen. "It's not very often that a pretty girl remains unaffected by your... less than friendly personality. I suggest you make the most of this exceptional opportunity."

Now it was Chaud's turn to gape. "What are you implying?"

He just gave the teen a small shove in the girl's direction. "Nothing, Master Chaud. Nothing at all."

Chaud narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the man, whom had become like a father to him over the years, before following after the cherry-haired girl. It was silent for a moment as the trio walked down the hallway, the girl remaining completely oblivious to her companion's confusion.

Chaud suddenly turned his head sharply to face the butler, exclaiming incredulously. "And I am being very friendly!"

Maylu looked back upon hearing his words with a puzzled expression. She didn't know quite what to make of Chaud's grumpy expression and the butler's amused eyes.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was much longer than previous ones, but once I started writing Roll netbattling, it just sorta... flowed I guess, haha. Hope you enjoyed it, even if Chaud was a bit OC in the last part. Sorry, but I couldn't resist adding that part with his butler ribbing him about Maylu XD

Keep up the reviews! :)

MI3


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